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Voter turnout at elections to European Parliament nears unprecedented 51%

The procedure of direct elections to the European Parliament was introduced in 1979 and the turnout at the first elections marked the figure of 61.99%

© AP Photo/Olivier Matthys

BRUSSELS, May 26. /TASS/. The 2019 Elections to the European Parliament prompted an over 50% turnout of voters in the European Union’s member states and it was an increase against the turnout in the 2014 elections, a spokesman for the European Parliament told journalists.

According to him, the turnout in all of 28 member states, including Great Britain, totaled 50.5%, which was by eight percent higher compared to the last ballot in 2014.

Leaders of all parties and candidates for the post of the head of the European Commission thanked all citizens of Europe for their involvement commenting on the elections.

The procedure of direct elections to the European Parliament was introduced in 1979 and the turnout at the first elections marked the figure of 61.99%, which declined ever since demonstrating a low interest of Europeans in this project. The year of 1999 registered the lowest-ever turnout of 49.51%

The 2019 European Parliament elections started on May 23 in Great Britain and the Netherlands and the last polling stations were closed in Italy at 23:00 local time on May 26.

According to European experts and media, the declining tendency in voter turnout this year was altered owing to the rapidly growing politicization of the society due to protest manifestations, particularly regarding the yellow vests’ movement, anti-migration protests and numerous rallies in the European cities against the climate change.

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